Cervical Cancer: A Growing Threat to Women

CEBU, Philippines - Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women today, with an estimated 530,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths each year; 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries.

This silent killer is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a group of viruses that is becoming very common worldwide. HPV is acquired by having sexual contact with an infected partner. With the incidence rate of cervical cancer getting higher over the past years, it does not lag far behind breast cancer in terms of infection rates.

The viruses are of many types, and not all types cause cervical cancer. HPV 16 and 18 account for about 70 percent of recorded cervical cancer cases. HPV in general is closely associated with cervical cancer risk, particularly among middle-aged women.

The Metro Cebu Population-based Cancer Registry of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.'s (RAFI) Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) reports that 165 had died of the 311 cervical-cancer patients diagnosed in the area from 2003 through 2007. Also, the incidence rate  for women 30 years old and above had risen.

According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer occurs when the cells in the cervix begin to grow and replicate in an abnormal and uncontrolled way. As this happens, the cells cannot function normally.

Cervical cancer often grows very slowly over a period of years. The symptoms tend to appear only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage. These may include, among others, abnormal vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse, fatigue, loss of appetite, and single swollen leg. 

All women are potentially at risk of developing cervical cancer at some point in their lives. The good news is that there is also a 90 percent survival rate if the disease is detected at an early stage.

This is where screening methods can help. Cancer screening should be an essential component of women's health care program. It is an effective way to detect abnormal cervical cells, including precancerous cervical lesions, as well as early cervical cancers.

The screening includes two types of tests: regular Pap smear and HPV testing. Pap smear or cytology-based screening detects abnormal cells that may develop into cancer if left undetected. It can also detect noncancerous conditions, such as inflammation and infections.

 According to the updated guidelines, women ages 21 through 29 should be screened with a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 through 65 can then be screened every five years with Pap and HPV co-testing or every three years with a Pap test alone.

In 2006 the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs had approved quadrivalent and bivalent vaccines as prevention against HPV-type infections. Both vaccines protect against initial infections of HPV types 16 and 18, which cause most of HPV-associated cancer cases. Quadrivalent vaccine also protects against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts.

To be most effective, HPV vaccines should be given before a person has any type of sexual debut, when HPV infection risk is at its lowest.  The recommendation is to get vaccinated between the ages of nine and 27 to enjoy a high level of immunity. Pregnant women - of any age - should not get the vaccine.

Because HPV vaccines are relatively new in the market, their long-term effects cannot yet be determined. The vaccination for each patient, however, should always be determined by a doctor.

HPV vaccines do not provide 100-percent lifetime protection against cervical cancer. Thus, it is important for women to continue undergoing regular cancer screenings, limiting number of sexual partners, and observing safe sex. 

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-topic-overview

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/Pap-HPV-testing  (FREEMAN)